A system for packetizing multimedia data and transmitting the multimedia data among devices that have transmission and reception functions can be used for transmitting multiple sound signals, where the sound signals are picked up, for example, on a stage of a concert hall or the like, and transmitted to a control booth that is located separated from the stage. For example, a stage unit device having transmission and reception functions may be disposed on the side of the stage. Sound signals from multiple musical instruments or microphones connected to the stage unit may be packetized and transmitted through a transmission path to a mixer device in a device that has transmission and reception functions at the control booth. The signals are converted to sound signals and mixed by the mixer. Thereafter, the sound signals may be packetized again and supplied through the transmission path to the stage unit on the side of the stage, converted to sound signals, and supplied to speakers or monitor devices.
According to the technology described above, multiple channel signals outputted from the mixer may be recorded on a recording/reproducing device, and thereafter the recorded signals may be reproduced as multiple channel signals and transmitted to the mixer or the stage unit. Recording at the recording/reproducing device is conducted by inputting multichannel output signals that are outputted from the mixer into the recording/reproducing device. Reproduction from the recording/reproducing device is conducted by inputting multichannel output signals that are outputted from the recording/reproducing device into respective channels of the mixer. In typical conventional systems, ordinary digital signals, not packetized data, are communicated between inputs and outputs of the devices.
According to conventional configurations, when transmitting multichannel output signals from the recording/reproducing device to the mixer or the stage unit, the connection for taking signals from the stage unit into the mixer must be modified to a connection for taking multichannel output signals from the recording/reproducing device and connecting the signals into respective channels of the mixer. However, such a modification can be complicated and may result in connection errors. As a result, it is possible that multichannel signals from the mixer may not be recorded on the recording/reproducing device, and recorded multiple channel signals may not be outputted to the stage unit.